A neko and his family
by SounnyKitty
Summary: Thanks Beowulf681 and Inyx Dawn for all your help! Tobi Deidara Sasaroi Kisame Zetsu Akoto friendship!T for death rate and implied nudity Pein/Konan implied


I would like to thank my awsome beta reader for everything! Thank you Inyx Dawn you have been a big help!

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Akoto lay sprawled out on his bed, lounging in the warm sunlight that filtered through his bedroom window. He had been daydreaming all day, a pastime he rarely had the luxury to indulge. Life in Akatsuki was far more demanding then he had initially thought it would be.

'_Nothing in life comes easy, I suppose. Still...I wouldn't trade this for the world!' _he thought.

Akoto allowed his thoughts to wonder further, thinking back on the past few days.

'_Has it really been two weeks since Deidara and I joined? With all of the work around here, it's felt longer._ _But, our lives are so much better; decent food, a roof over our heads, and the company of a few good friends_. _I know the new friends mean so much to Deidara. Everyone here is so understanding, after all, we all have some_..._unique abilities. Here, we can smile more, laugh, and not have to live a life shrouded in secrecy and fear.'_

Akoto sat up, momentarily pausing in his thoughts, and walked quickly across the room to his dresser to grab a nail file. After he a brief search, he found it and say back down on the side of his bed, setting right to work on his right hand.

'_I don't understand why Pain has me trim my claws so much, they just aren't effective this way, _he thought, irritated._ 'But that's his rule, and I have to do as he says. He has been good to us so far, but I just can't understand why he'd intentionally weaken me_. _It's been the only odd order I've received from him. I won't pass judgment – he is the leader after all – so he must have a good reason for the orders he gives. Besides, he_ _has been good to us, so I suppose he's not that bad. That blue haired female, on the other hand, I don't much care for. She takes every opportunity to give Deidara and me dirty looks. Come to think of it, I have never seen her smile_. _In the two weeks we've been here, even_ Itachi, _killer of his clan_, _has smiled at least once_.'

Akoto finished the claws on his right hand, and inspected his handiwork. What were once mighty claws now resembled human fingernails. He sighed, and inspected the nearly spent file.

"I've barely used this and already it's almost worthless," he whispered.

The low sound of light footsteps filtered through Akoto's ears. Since he could not yet tell the Akatsuki apart by their auras, he waited patiently until he caught their scent.

'_Ah, it's Tobi and Deidara. I wonder what they want_.'

Akoto got off the bed, threw away the useless nail file, and made his way to the door. He opened the door before Deidara could knock, startling his blond friend and the masked man behind him.

"Hi guys!" Akoto greeted warmly."What brings you two here?" Akoto smiled brightly at his two friends; he always found their company refreshing.

"Hi Akoto-kun," Tobi cried. "Deidara and I wanted to visit you!" Tobi waved his arms wildly for emphasis. The cheerfulness in his voice could be heard across the base. After he had calmed down a little, Tobi meekly asked, "Is that okay Akoto-kun?"

"Yeah," began Deidara, the teasing in his voice as obvious as Tobi's joy, "We don't need an appointment to visit the great neko lord do we?"

Akoto let out a hardy laugh."No, of course not, come on in! I was just filing my claws down. Please, sit down and make yourselves comfortable." Akoto stepped back from the doorway and beckoned his friends in.

They all sat on his bed, while Akoto rummaged through a drawer for another file. "How's everything going?" Akoto asked as he began to file down the claws on his left hand. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much. I've made new art, yeah." Deidara said with a shrug as he dug around in Akoto's nail care drawer, touching and examining all of the nail polishes.

"Yeah I know, I could hear the explosion clear across the base! Next time, move father way!" Akoto said stiffly, as his ears twitched furiously at the memory.

"And Tobi played with Zetsu-kun and Zetsu-sama!" Tobi informed happily.

Deidara shivered at the though of being alone with Zetsu. Not that he had anything against the plant-like man, but he just gave off a creepy aura. "I don't know how you can be around him for so long."

Tobi was too preoccupied with a bottle of nail polish to notice the comment directed at him.

"Akoto, you're taking forever doing you nails! What is taking so long?" Deidara whined.

"First, why do you care how long I take? Second, I told you several times I have to give up my claws for impractical nails. Look at this mockery!" Exclaimed Akoto, holding up his hands. "These are totally ineffective!" He poked Deidara on the nose for emphasis, drawing a small drop of blood in the process. Even filed down, his claws were still sharp.

Deidara quickly wiped away the drop of blood. "I'm sorry you're unhappy about this. It's the nail polish that bothers me, yeah." Deidara was looking at his mouth palms, something he did when bored.

Tobi decided to offer his opinion. "Tobi doesn't like the smell, but he dose like the end when it's all finished!"

"I can't stand the smell either, Tobi-kun, it is almost unbearable." Akoto said, finishing the last claw. He glanced at it sadly. '_Such a waste_...'

"Tobi, you don't even paint your nails, yeah. And you're not even an Akatsuki member yet!" Deidara said irritably.

"Deidara-chan, don't be unkind to Tobi-kun," Akoto said, using the feminine honorific to annoy his blond haired friend. The dig worked, quickly eliciting a growl from Deidara. '_Just how I taught him,_' thought Akoto proudly.

"And Tobi _did_ paint his nails! See?" Tobi removed his odd gloves to show metallic blue painted nails.

"That's a good color for you Tobi," Akoto said. He meant it too.

"Thank you Akoto-kun!" Tobi said happily as put his gloves back on.

Deidara spoke up softly, clearly embarrassed. He refused to look anywhere but at the bedspread. "Could I borrow that color, Tobi-kun?"

"Oh of course Deidara-kun! Tobi will be happy to let you have any of Tobi-kun nail polish! Let's go back to Tobi's room!" Tobi grabbed Deidara and began to make his way towards the door. "See you later Akoto-san!"

With that, the door slammed shut.

'_Those two, so full of energy,' _Akoto thought happily._ 'They make everything here worth it.'_


End file.
